12 h. ago ‘I had hoped the virus would be contained in China’: An inside look at the Fed’s historic fight to save the U.S. economy

‘I had hoped the virus would be contained in China’: An inside look at the Fed’s historic fight to save the U.S. economy  MarketWatch

Politics

14 h. ago As Trump urges cap on credit card rates, could China follow suit for online loans?

US President Donald Trump’s call for American credit card interest rates to be capped at 10 per cent for a year has sparked a debate in China about whether Beijing should impose a similar limit on online loans. The discussion comes as many in China – especially younger people – are being enticed by credit offers amid a weak job market and a boom in online loan services. “Apps now keep luring young people into borrowing,” a finance blogger with nearly 500,000 followers wrote in a social media...

Politics

14 h. ago Murder suspect who fled to mainland China handed over to Hong Kong police

A murder suspect who fled across the border late last month after allegedly killing his girlfriend in a public housing flat has been handed over to Hong Kong police following his capture by mainland Chinese law enforcers. The Hong Kong identity card holder, 28, was wanted in the city in connection with the murder of a woman, 35, whose body was hidden in the storage compartment of a bed in his Ngau Tau Kok flat. He was arrested by Hong Kong police on Friday and is expected to be charged with...

Events

18 h. ago Thai ruling party courts voters by vowing to end Cambodia conflict, close scam hubs

Thailand’s ruling party, which is seeking to retain power in next month’s election, has vowed to resolve the country’s conflict with Cambodia and clean up its image as a transit hub for trafficked scam victims. The conservative Bhumjaithai Party, which took power in September, has cast itself as the most suitable defender of Thai sovereignty during the border dispute between the two Southeast Asian countries. Clashes erupted for five days last July and reignited in December before a...

Events

18 h. ago Scam and corruption cases spark debate in China over cryptocurrencies’ future

The seizure of enormous cryptocurrency caches in two high-profile criminal cases in China – a former head of the central bank’s digital currency research institute accused of corruption, and an alleged scam centre kingpin linked to about US$15 billion in bitcoin – have sparked questions in the country about the safety and future of virtual money. But analysts said the long-term trend for the assets, especially bitcoin, depended on institutional capital, interest rate expectations and the...

Politics

18 h. ago Scam, corruption cases spark Chinese debate about future of virtual money

Scam, corruption cases spark Chinese debate about future of virtual money  South China Morning Post

Politics

19 h. ago What Trump’s visa pause means for Southeast Asia and US regional priorities

The inclusion of four Southeast Asian nations in the United States’ 75-country visa suspension has thrown up questions over Washington’s foreign policy approach, including its interest in the region. Cambodia, Myanmar, Laos and Thailand are among countries affected by the indefinite suspension, set to take effect on January 21, as the Donald Trump administration continues to roll out punitive measures to drastically restrict immigration. The list, released by the US Department of State on...

Politics

25 h. ago Philippines enters its ‘hour of danger’ as Marcos, Duterte clash

For the Philippines, 2026 promises to be a roller-coaster ride of political intrigue as President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr and his deputy lock horns in an existential clash that risks tanking the economy, dividing military loyalties and derailing Asean’s regional diplomacy. “It will be a very messy year both in politics and the economy,” Philippine Congressman Edgar Erice told This Week in Asia. A showdown now seems all but inevitable: Vice-President Sara Duterte enters 2026 with an approval rating...

Politics

25 h. ago Philippines enters its ‘hour of danger’ in Marcos vs Duterte clash

For the Philippines, 2026 promises to be a roller-coaster ride of political intrigue as President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr and his deputy lock horns in an existential clash that risks tanking the economy, dividing military loyalties and derailing Asean’s regional diplomacy. “It will be a very messy year both in politics and the economy,” Philippine Congressman Edgar Erice told This Week in Asia. A showdown now seems all but inevitable: Vice-President Sara Duterte enters 2026 with an approval rating...

Politics

35 h. ago Thousands of Chinese Fishing Boats Quietly Form Vast Sea Barriers

Thousands of Chinese Fishing Boats Quietly Form Vast Sea Barriers  The New York Times

Politics

36 h. ago China dumps more US debt, buys other assets as Trump targets Powell

China trimmed its holdings of US Treasuries in November to the lowest level since 2008, diverging from a global trend that saw total foreign ownership of the debt instruments hit a record high. Analysts say the prospect of a politicised Federal Reserve chairmanship under Donald Trump’s presidency has deepened Beijing’s concerns over its exposure to American debt, with more cuts expected. Beijing’s stockpile fell to US$682.6 billion in November, down from US$688.7 billion in October, according to...

Politics

36 h. ago Hong Kong plans to build Northern Metropolis logistics hub for smart, green growth

Hong Kong is building a logistics hub for high-value goods, e-commerce and low-altitude economy in the Northern Metropolis mega development project, with authorities set to gauge industry interest in the first site of the cluster this year. The Transport and Logistics Bureau said on Friday that authorities aimed to attract leading logistics firms with tailored incentives, such as land grant arrangements and premium concessions, to a planned industrial cluster covering more than 30 hectares in...

Politics

37 h. ago Galloping horses theme of Hong Kong’s Lunar New Year fireworks display

The coming Lunar New Year fireworks display in Hong Kong will feature the theme of galloping horses to welcome the Year of the Horse, with the Jockey Club sponsoring the event for the first time. Jockey Club chief executive Winfried Engelbrecht-Bresges said on Friday that the fireworks show, titled “Prosperity gallops across Hong Kong”, would be a part of a year-long campaign by the betting giant to celebrate the equine zodiac with a series of events from races to museum exhibitions. “For the...

Events

38 h. ago TSMC buys up land in Arizona as Taiwan pledges US$500 billion US tech investment

Taiwan has committed to driving hundreds of billions of dollars of extra investment into America’s chip industry as part of a US trade deal announced on Thursday, with the island’s biggest semiconductor producer already moving to buy more land in the US state of Arizona. Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) – the world’s largest contract chipmaker – confirmed on Thursday that it had bought a second tract of land in Arizona. The 365-hectare (901-acre) plot nearly doubles the...

Economics

39 h. ago Why India is losing ground over Bangladesh and Myanmar to regional rivals

India is facing multiple geopolitical challenges in the region as Bangladesh and Myanmar show signs of drifting away from New Delhi’s orbit amid its long-standing disputes with Pakistan and China. Dhaka has been drawing closer to Islamabad following the downfall in 2024 of its former prime minister Sheikh Hasina, who had close ties with Delhi during her rule, while China has continued to maintain its influence in Myanmar since the junta in Naypyidaw ousted the elected government in a coup in...

Politics

39 h. ago Number of registered companies in Hong Kong reaches record 1.56 million in 2025

Hong Kong’s corporate landscape expanded to unprecedented levels last year, with the total number of local registered companies reaching a record of nearly 1.56 million by the end of 2025. “By the end of 2025, the total number of local companies and redomiciled companies registered under the Companies Ordinance increased by 96,609 compared with 2024, reaching 1,557,103,” the Companies Registry said in a statement on Friday, noting that it was “an all-time high figure”. Among the total in 2025,...

Politics

40 h. ago Canada to remove 100% tariffs on Chinese EV imports: prime minister

Canada will remove the additional 100 per cent in tariffs it had imposed on Chinese electric vehicle (EV) imports, Prime Minister Mark Carney said on Friday during a state visit in Beijing. In place of the higher duties, Carney said, Canada will cap import volume and retain a standard tariff rate of 6.1 per cent to shipments within the 49,000-unit limit. Canada’s additional tariffs, covering all EVs made in China, took effect in October 2024, following a similar move from the United States. “In...

Politics

40 h. ago Canada, China hit reset button on relations with tariff agreement

China and Canada have agreed to remove the triple-digit tariffs imposed on each other’s imports – a major thaw in relations after years of icy diplomatic and trade ties – as Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney wrapped up his state visit in Beijing. Canada will remove the additional 100 per cent in tariffs it had levied on Chinese electric vehicle (EV) imports – imposed in 2024 following a similar move from the United States – while China will lower its tariffs on Canadian canola, Carney said on...

Events

48 h. ago China’s slowing growth, bilateral tensions top American business concerns in 2026

Concerns about China’s slowing economic growth and “strained” Beijing-Washington relations rank as the top two concerns among members of the American Chamber of Commerce in China this year, according to a chamber survey released on Friday. The growth concern was raised by around two-thirds of the 368 respondents, making it the leading issue, the annual China Business Climate Survey found. Fifty-two per cent of respondents reported being profitable or very profitable last year, 6 percentage...

Events

49 h. ago What’s cooking? Hong Kong restaurants thinking outside the box in bid to survive

Scroll through Tam Jai International’s mobile apps and you will encounter a wave of perks, menu offerings and other choices laid out to tempt you to the Hong Kong restaurant group’s staple offering, noodles. The apps are among several strategies, along with filling all dining segments from breakfast, lunch, tea and dinner with new menu items, that the chain has introduced in the past few months to win back diners who continue to cross the border in droves for leisure and dining. Ronald Wong...

Society